I have just moved into a residential house in Tägerig (Post Code
5522), Zürich, Switzerland.  I want to know what options for broadband
Internet access exist for my PC and which company is the best for
providing them.  For example is ADSL or equivilant available here? 
How quickly can it get installed and how much will it cost?

Dear tomazos,


You have three options for residential broadband Internet access:
satellite, cable, and DSL.


Satellite service is offered in Switzerland by Filiago, a German firm
that provides access throughout Europe via the Astra satellite system.
Filiago advertises reasonably priced flat-rate packages at 512 and 1024
Mbps downstream data rates, which are comparable to those on DSL.

Filiago
http://www.filiago.de/

Although satellite service may be an attractive proposition in remote
locations that don't have access to other kinds of broadband, I would
not recommend it otherwise. For one thing, the network latency -- the
delay between a download request and the time when the file actually
begins downloading -- is much higher than on landlines. Furthermore, the
upstream data rate is limited to a paltry 50 Mbps, which precludes running
peer-to-peer software or any kind of server on your machine. A satellite
connection also has greater hardware requirements and installation costs
than other kinds of broadband access.


The main Swiss cable provider is Cablecom, which does provide service in
your postal code. When you begin a subscription with Cablecom, they send
you a cable modem that remains their property but whose rental cost is
included in your monthly access fee. If your residence is already wired
for cable, you should be able to activate your Internet connection as
soon as the modem is delivered. If the house does not already have cable,
it will take a week or two to have it installed. Cable installation is
generally undertaken without cost to you, although you may be charged
in the event of unusual infrastructure requirements.

Cablecom: Products & prices: Short description
http://www.cablecom.ch/en/internet/hispeed/kurzbeschrieb.htm?setlang=4

The basic broadband package is hispeed 600, which gives you 600 Mbps
downstream and 100Mbps upstream for 45 Swiss francs a month.


If I were in your shoes, I would choose cable because I have found it
be more reliable than DSL connnections. This is because cable networks
are relatively new, dedicated installations with buried lines, whereas
DSL signals travel over traditional, heavily-trafficked telephone wires,
including aerial ones, with all the attendant maintenance problems. DSL
quality does vary widely depending on your neighborhood and according to
your distance from the phone company's DSLAM box, so you may be fortunate
enough to get hooked up to a stable, high-bandwidth DSL connection. In
general, however, cable is a better bet.


If you do want to go with DSL, there is a wide range of Swiss
providers. The biggest ones are Bluewin and EasyNet, although neither
of them has an especially good reputation when it comes to network
uptime and customer service. The choice of DSL providers available to
you depends on your phone number, so you should begin by using each
provider's number checking service.


BlueWin: ADSL Anmelden
http://de.bluewin.ch/internetzugang/index.php/anmelden_adsl

BlueWin: Number Checker
http://de.bluewin.ch/internetzugang/numberchecker/


EasyNet: DSL Connect
http://www.easynet.ch/index.cfm?uuid=5D1E16992ABA4109974BFD574241F99D

EasyNet: ADSL Checker
http://www3.easynet.ch/tools/linechecker/index_en.cfm


Note that BlueWin currently offers a free two-month trial of their DSL
service, so you may want to try them first. There is no installation
charge, and you should be able to activate your Internet access
immediately after taking delivery of the free modem.


A more complete list of DSL providers is available on this page.

Providerliste: ADSL
http://www.providerliste.ch/deu/provider/adsl


If you read German with a high level of comprehension, you may be
interested in these user forums on Swiss DSL service.

your-connect.ch: ADSL - Provider - Diskussion, Fragen, Erfahrungen
und Antworten
http://www.your-connect.ch/forum-provider.asp


Finally, there is a Swiss DSL comparison-shopping service called
Superspeed, which lets you fill out a form to look for DSL packages
that meet your requirements. In general, you can expect to pay around
50 Swiss francs monthly for 600 MBps downstream and 100 MBps upstream.

Superspeed
http://www.superspeed.ch/

Superspeed: Kontakt
http://www.superspeed.ch/kontakt.php?aboquestion



It has been a pleasure to address this question on your behalf. If you
feel that any part of my answer requires correction or elaboration,
please let me know with a Clarification Request so that I may fully meet
your needs before you assign a rating.


Regards,

leapinglizard